


Stress

by The_Voidfish_Duet



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Hiking and doing dishes? Sounds gay to me, Joseph is a very sleep deprived man, M/M, beginning to diverge from canon. as a treat.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22574128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Voidfish_Duet/pseuds/The_Voidfish_Duet
Summary: Barclay is stressed and talked over. Stern is avoided by most of the Amnesty residents. Can I make it any more obvious?Oh, and there's an abomination on the loose.on hiatus! i am determined to finish this eventually
Relationships: Barclay/Agent Stern (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 72





	1. Dishes? Dishes

**Author's Note:**

> Combined the 1st and 2nd chapter because I thought it would work together better than having them split.

Barclay stared at the bottom of the sink as he scrubbed at a dirty plate, more lost in thought than focused on the task at hand. He hadn’t even had a chance to get in a word once dinner had ended. Everybody had gone on their way, leaving him alone to deal with the mess. Like usual. He wasn’t surprised, as he could rarely get out a thought without somebody talking over him, but the familiarity didn’t lessen the disappointment or the stress of more to do.

He scrubbed at the dish harder, lamenting his work load. He adored the lodge and it’s residents, yes, but no amount of fondness could squash his stress. A voice brought his attention back from his spiral of thoughts.

“Am I safe to assume that dinner is over by now?” Agent Stern- great. Just another thing to add to his day. Not that Stern wasn’t nice, he was always incredibly polite and had a tendency to keep to himself. Politeness and pretty eyes didn’t change what the man had come to Kepler for, though. 

Barclay squeezed his eyes shut, breathing out a little sigh. Cooking another meal would just be another thing to do, and while he was usually happy to cook for residents of the lodge, he just wasn't in the mood. “There's leftovers in the fridge," he responded, careful to keep his voice neutral. "You can take whatever you want from there." When he looked over, Stern was regarding him with a look of concern. 

“Do you need any help? You’ve been washing the same dish since I got back.”

So he had. Barclay hastily rinsed the dish and set it aside, face growing warm in embarrassment. “Yeah- I’d like that,” he admitted, stepping to the side. Rolling up his sleeves and setting his watch aside, Stern fell into place beside him to help out. 

It was a bit tense at first, which Barclay had expected to last, but it didn’t take long to fade, even with the lack of conversation. He had expected Stern to bring up why he was here in some way or another, to ask some sort of question, but instead, the agent stayed quiet. On his last dish, Barclay glanced over at Stern.

“People usually aren’t willing to help with the dishes, so, uh- thank you.”

Stern offered a small smile in return. “You looked stressed, it’s the least I could do. I haven't helped out much before, so...”

The want to not be a burden went unsaid, but the intent was still heard by the other man. Barclay just hummed in response, nodding.

Setting the last dish aside, Barclay dried off his hands. "So, what've you been out doing all day?" Hunting for him, no doubt.

Stern's sheepish look answered his question. "Well- I bet you can imagine. Frankly, talking to people around town is pretty fruitless. I did take a walk on one of the shorter trails, though. I don't think I'll ever get over how lovely the forest is here."

Barclay let out a soft chuckle. A conversation wouldn't hurt, he figured. If Stern mentioned anything about his job, well, he could just brush it off like usual. "Yeah. I remember when I first moved here. The Monongahela really is somethin'."

"Indeed. I'll have to be more prepared next time though. Hiking in my usual outfit is… not ideal." He cracked a smile as Barclay huffed out a soft laugh.

“I can imagine. Do you have hiking boots? I’d recommend getting them…”

Barclay found himself enjoying talking to Stern, to his surprise. He felt himself slowly relaxing, leaning against the counter as the pair chatted. First hiking, then good spots to eat (Stern was happy to express how much he loved his cooking, to Barclay’s delight), and anything in between. 

The pair chatted for longer than either of them had anticipated. Stern reached for his watch, glancing at the time. He raised his eyebrows before turning to Barclay. "I hate to stop our conversation, but it's getting late." 

Barclay glanced towards the clock that was kept in the kitchen, noting with surprise that it was past 9pm. “Time really flies I guess,” he replied, smiling slightly. “Well, goodnight, agent.”

Stern smiled at him once more. “Goodnight, Barclay.” Rolling his sleeves back down, he exited the kitchen, leaving Barclay to stand alone once more. That wasn’t anything close to as bad as he thought it would have been. It wasn’t bad at all, actually.

Huh.

\--

Joseph knew that something was up at the lodge. The way the residents acted… it wasn't normal. Thoughts about what he had come to realize here spiraled through his mind as he stared down at the notebook. 

Aubrey, she could do "magic", yes, but he had a strong suspicion that she could do more. The disappearance of Madeline- though, it very well could be a business trip- was also on his mind. Not to mention how he had seen a few people- namely Duck and Barclay- move things that seemed a bit too heavy

He sighed, shaking his head and setting his pen down. He quietly sipped the last of his tea as Aubrey made her way inside, making a beeline for her room. Joseph’s gaze followed her as she made her way towards the stairs.

She didn't notice Barclay as he peaked out of the kitchen, giving a little wave. Barclay opened his mouth, but his words seemingly died on his tongue as Aubrey disappeared upstairs. 

Joseph noted with a sad little twinge that Barclay seemed disappointed by the lack of an exchange, though not particularly surprised. He himself had definitely noticed how the other residents would often talk over the man. Flipping his notebook closed, he waved towards Barclay, getting his attention. "Is it safe to assume that you're not busy?"

Barclay's disappointed expression lit up with a small smile in response. "Yeah, I'm free right now. Why?"

"Well, I finally got myself some hiking boots. I was wondering if you’d want to go on a hike with me?” 

Barclay seemed to light up even more, nodding. “Of course. You have any idea what trail you wanted to take?”

Joseph shook his head. “I was hoping you’d know a good one.” He picked up his notebook, making his way towards his room. “I’ll meet you back down here in a few minutes?”

“Sounds good.”

Joseph made his way up towards his room, shutting the door behind him. As he dug through his things for something to wear that would be ok for hiking- he settled on jeans and a sweater- he felt himself reflecting back. Barclay had started out incredibly tense around him, but after he had helped out with the dishes, the man had been a lot more willing to talk to him. Other than Jake- and occasionally Aubrey- he was the only person who was ever really willing to talk to him.

He couldn’t help but be glad about that. There was only so much he could go with his only purely positive interactions being with Jake. He loved the kid, but he could be overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that Barclay was… very attractive. Joseph pushed the thought away as he pulled on his boots, making his way downstairs. 

Barclay was waiting by the door for him by the time he made his way down. He smiled at him, and Joseph nearly missed the lookover he was given, but he decided to put that up to him not being in a suit for once.

The car ride down was nice. There was a lot of silence, but it was a comfortable one, and the quiet was broken by periods of chatter. 

"So, anything you want to tell me about the trail?"

Barclay shrugged. "It's one of the more scenic ones. I feel like you'll like it."

Joseph leaned back in his seat with a nod, letting out a little hum. "I bet I will. You have good taste."

Barclay didn't respond, though Joseph noticed the hint of a smile that appeared on his face. 

Joseph was out of the car almost as soon as they arrived, curious to see what the area was like. There weren't any people here, but that just made the spot better, if he was being honest.

Barclay waited for him at the mouth of the trail until he finally joined him, and the two made their way into the woods.

The silence between them was comfortable. Stern didn’t feel like he had to search for a topic to spark up anything, just taking in the scenery was good enough. Conversation did occasionally spark up, though only from interesting sights- a newt in a rotting log getting ready for the cold, mushrooms, some of the birds they saw, and even a couple of deer.

A smile appeared on Stern’s face when they came across a small stream. “I was always more outdoorsy when I was younger,” he noted, crouching down to peer into the shallow water. “I had a lot more time for it. Poking around in the water was my favorite.”

Barclay nodded, smiling softly. He turned to look towards the trees. "I remember when I first came to Keplar," he replied. "On my first walk through here, I instantly fell in love with this place."

Stern knew what Barclay meant. He had never walked through a forest that had felt so… alive. If he focused hard enough, he felt it. The soft thrum in the air, barely noticeable, but there. He felt drawn to it. That, combined with the beauty and peacefulness of the area, made him never want to leave.

“It’s almost like the forest is alive,” Joseph noted as he stood back up. 

“It is,” he agreed, and Joseph didn’t miss the slight twinge of nervousness that crossed over his face. He didn’t mention it, just pushing himself back into a standing position and starting down the trail once again.

The further they walked, though, the more the feeling of life within the forest began to fade. Joseph felt like he was being watched. Even Barclay seemed a bit more nervous than usual, sparing lingering glances into the trees.

Soon, Barclay stopped. “We should head back,” he announced. “I have to be back in time for dinner.” 

Joseph relaxed, genuinely relieved to get out of the place. “Sounds good to me,” he replied. “Frankly, my feet are starting to hurt.” They weren’t, not really. He just wanted to get away from the feeling of eyes. More hastily than needed, the two backtracked their steps, the silence between them more tense than it had been.

Joseph stared out of the window on the way back, eyes pinned on the trees. The feeling of being watched had left along with the forest, but despite how nervous he had been, he was excited to get back out there. There was something out there, he knew it. Bigfoot or not, he was going to find it. 


	2. Chapter 2

When Stern made his way downstairs a few days later, he looked exhausted. Barclay's gaze followed him, a frown on his face.

"Agent? You feeling alright?" Barclay asked, already fixing up a coffee with enough sugar to make his teeth hurt. 

Stern just blinked at him for a few moments before sighing. "Yeah, I'm fine, just… a bad night, I guess."

"Oh yeah?" He set the cup of coffee in front of Stern, who wrapped his hands around the mug with a grateful smile.

"Yeah. I-" he sighed. "I'll feel better tomorrow, I suppose."

"You'd better get to bed early, or I'm dragging you up."

That got a little chuckle out of Stern. "I don't doubt that," he responded. "I doubt I'll make it the whole day anyways."

"Never had an all nighter before?"

"Oh, I definitely have. This night just… took a lot out of me."

“Nightmare?”

Stern hesitated. “... yeah. Nightmares.”

That he could understand. Barclay patted Stern’s shoulder. “Just don’t let that keep you up tonight. Hopefully they won’t keep you like this for long.”

“Hopefully,” came Stern’s soft agreement as Barclay headed back to the kitchen. He kept glancing back towards Stern for the remainder of the day, his concern only increasing as Stern dozed off where he was sitting.

-

Joseph knew very well that he would not be getting a good night’s sleep any time soon.

Before getting in bed, he closed the curtains, though he already knew it wouldn’t do much. Climbing into bed, he did his best to get comfortable, watching the wall as the room slowly darkened. 

Joseph's eyes blinked closed as he relaxed under the covers, breathing out a soft sigh. But then the feeling of being watched started up, ever so faintly, and he stiffened. 

It would be another bad night.

He woke up early, gasping from vivid dreams of hands grabbing onto him in the darkness. When his eyes shifted to the clock, he found that it was 2am. 

The urge to relax, to try and fall back asleep, was strong. The feeling of being watched was strong too, though, and he pushed himself out of bed. He didn't bother to try and change out of his pajamas, just pulling some slippers on before fleeing his room.

As soon as the door was shut, the feeling of being watched was cut off. He closed his eyes, leaning against the door with a small sigh. 

When he began to move again, he slowly followed the familiar steps down to the lobby of the lodge. Feeling around to make his way, his hand hit the back of a couch. Moving over to the front, he slowly laid down, pulling the blanket off the back and over him. 

He closed his eyes as the feeling of being watched returned, pulling the blanket tightly around himself as if it would help him. He could wait it out, at least. 

A door opened, and the feeling disappeared as quickly as it came. Joseph didn't move at the sound of movement in the kitchen, but he couldn't help but relax when the man began humming faintly. Barclay.

Joseph closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Barclay moving through the kitchen. He'd question why he was up so early, but for now, Joseph was all too content to allow the sound to lull him to a blissfully dreamless sleep.

-

Out of all places to find Stern at the crack ass of dawn, Barclay certainly didn't expect it to be curled up on the couch in his pajamas.

"Stern?" He rested a hand on the man's shoulder, watching as he stirred in response, though didn't wake. He breathed out a soft sigh as he returned to the kitchen, figuring that he could try and tell the others to be quiet when they came down.

Jake and Dani starting an argument that ended in laughter and wrestling before he could even begin to say that Stern was literally sleeping right there ruined that idea.

Stern was blinking sleepily at the ceiling by the time Barclay came out with a coffee. He set it on the coffee table as the other man sat up slowly, sitting beside him. 

Stern picked up his coffee, taking a sip and leaning back into the couch with a soft sigh. After a few moments, he looked over towards Barclay. "Why were you up so early?" 

"Why were you sleeping on the couch?" Barclay retaliated. 

That got a dry chuckle out of Stern. "I, uh-" he pursued his lips, glancing to the side. "You felt that we were being watched in the woods, right?"

Barclay frowned. "Well, yeah. It was pretty weird, but-"

Stern cut him off, speaking in a lowered voice. "Whatever it was followed me. I haven't been able to sleep since the hike because it's… it's been watching me." He shook his head. "I know you're going to just say it's nothing but paranoia, but I just… I _know_. I _know_ that it's real."

Barclay felt his heart stop for a moment as he let that sink in. The abomination was after Stern, and they barely knew anything about it yet. He set a hand on the agent's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "I believe you," he assured him. "If you ever feel like you need me for anything, just tell me."

Stern nodded, relaxing into the touch. "I will," he promised, smiling slightly.

Barclay smiled at him before standing up with a soft, mostly dramatic groan. "Now I just need to go find Mama. Catch you later, Stern."

He tried not to make it look like he was rushing to Mama's office, no matter how much he wanted to. He knocked at the door, letting himself in when she called "come in!"

Shutting the door behind him, he didn't wait for Mama to ask what the problem was. He stopped by her desk, his expression falling into worry once more.

"I think the abomination is after Stern, Mama."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hc that while sylphs are perfectly capable for sleeping as long as humans, they don't need as much sleep if they have enough of that good-ole sylvain radiance. Aka Barclay gets up super early to see if anyone has been fucking around in his kitchen.


	3. Oh? You're ruining my sleeping schedule?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph's sleeping rights get revoked

Joseph wasn't too happy to say that his sleeping schedule was terribly out of hand, but it was. He'd get into bed, maybe get a few moments of fitful sleep, and then he would go to lay on the couch until morning, where he could finally rest. It was hell on his back, but it was better than pulling so many all nighters. 

He always managed to get onto the couch before Barclay came out to make his rounds in the kitchen. That was always when the staring stopped. 

Tonight, though, he came out a bit late. Barclay looked up when he reached the bottom of the stairs, a small smile appearing on his face. “I was wondering when you’d come down.”

“You know when I’m not down here?” Joseph murmured, climbing onto the couch and pulling the blanket off of the back.

“The blanket is never on the back when you’re down here.”

“Fair enough.”

Barclay finished up what he was making, setting a cup of tea onto the coffee table. “Here. This should help you sleep.”

Joseph moved to grab the tea, a spark of affection flowing through him. "Thanks," he murmured, propping himself up on an elbow to take a sip. 

He expected Barclay to return to the kitchen to do his usual rounds, but instead, he asked, "so… the watching hasn't gone away?"

Joseph shook his head, sighing softly. "I wish. The nightmares haven't either." He turned to look at Barclay, taking in his tense demeanor. The man was chewing at his lip, staring off into space. "Why?"

Barclay blinked. "Oh, I- nothing, don't worry. I'm just concerned, y'know?"

Joseph nodded slowly. "Understandable." He was acting a bit strange. He tucked that thought aside for later as he turned his attention to his tea. "... You know, you never answered my question. Why do you come out here so early?"

Barclay shrugged in response. "I've always just run on less sleep than most. Lets me see if anyone came down for a midnight snack, too. Usually Jake. Gives me teasing rights."

Joseph let out a soft chuckle. "Teasing rights?"

"Of course. I need _something_ to get back at him." Smiling, he turned his attention back towards the kitchen. "Speaking of Jake's snacking, I should go check. You get some sleep, Stern. I'll see you in the morning."

"Joseph."

"Hm?"

"My first name. It's Joseph." He smiled slightly, setting the now empty cup on the table. "I guess I forgot to tell everyone."

Picking up the empty cup, Barclay just smiled softly at him. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Joseph."

As Barclay returned to the kitchen, Joseph curled up, listening to the sound of the other man shuffling around as he began to drift off to sleep. He could only hope that things would get better soon.

-

The next night was worse. As nice as it was talking to Barclay every morning, the nightmares were wearing on him. He stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, the feeling of tiny clawed feet scuttling all over him just beginning to wane. He splashed his face with cold water. Better.

Stepping back into his room, he checked the clock. 1am. He sighed softly. Barclay wouldn't be out for a few more hours. Regardless, he began on his way downstairs.

He sat on the couch. Still watched. The blanket from the back of the couch did nothing as he wrapped it around himself, eyes squinted shut. The feeling of small, clawed feet returned, but as he swiped at his arms, he knew that there was nothing there. Just the prickling stare of whatever was stalking him.

A soft scraping sound from outside was what caused his eyes to snap open. He turned to look towards one of the windows. Nothing.

It was too much. He stood up, clutching the blanket around himself like a life support as he blindly felt his way towards Barclay's room. 

He knocked at the door, tensing as the feeling of being watched only grew stronger. He was close to a window. He didn't dare look, _couldn't_ look, nearly frozen in fear. 

He nearly collapsed in relief when the door opened, whisking the feeling away.

"What's- oh, shit, Joseph-"

Joseph clung onto the hand Barclay laid on his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut. 

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I just couldn't- i heard it-"

He found himself being led into Barclay's room, his rambling dying off as he was gently pushed down into the bed. 

"Get some sleep," Barclay murmured, sitting on the other side of the bed. "I'll be right here."

Joseph could only nod, curling up into a ball as he let out a shaky breath. He didn't want to sleep, but the warm covers and the waves of exhaustion he felt soon began to overpower him. Slowly, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

-

Barclay watched as Joseph's breathing evened out, anxiety coiling in his gut. This was getting bad. It was only a matter of time before the abomination would strike, and all they had to go on was Joseph's experience. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. They were going to need to try harder. 

When Joseph finally awoke, he let out a sleepy little groan. "Mmh… I feel like shit," he murmured softly, eyes remaining shut. 

"I'm not surprised. I'll get you some tea, maybe that'll help some." He didn't want to leave him alone, but he still managed to pull himself off to the kitchen.

The motions of making tea were nice. Familiar. It was a comforting thing, making tea. He picked up the mugs once he was done, stepping back into his bedroom.

Joseph was sitting up by then, combing his fingers through his messy hair. He smiled slightly at the sight of Barclay, taking his tea with a content hum. "Thank you."

Barclay just smiled in response, sitting in bed beside him. "No problem," he replied, taking a sip. Pulling the mug away from his face, he tapped on the side for a few moments. "So…"

"Hm?"

"It's getting worse, isn't it."

The expression Joseph made told Barclay everything. He patted his shoulder, sighing. "It'll get better soon," he promised him. "Won't last forever."

"Yeah," Joseph replied, seeming unsure of his answer. "It'll… stop eventually."

Barclay watched him for a few moments before sighing. "It will. I should… get back to work. I'll make you your usual."

Joseph gave a soft "thank you," in response as Barclay stood up, leaving the room. He set his tea down on the counter, staring at the wall for a moment in silence. "... God damm abominations."

-

The next Pineguard meeting was fruitless at best. Joseph being haunted to exhaustion, a single glimpse of something that could have been it, and nothing more.

"I mean, it clearly has somethin' to do with seein'. Eyes could be a weakness."

"We don't even know if it *has* eyes, Duck," Aubrey retorted.

Mama just rubbed her face in her hands. "Good god," she muttered, shaking her head. "These ones are always the worst."

Barclay stared at their notes, frowning. "I'm just wondering why it's targeting Joseph. Out of anyone here…"

Ned shrugged. "Hey, maybe it knows an FBI agent with a mysterious death would be bad news." He grinned. "That'll get the government running."

Mama perked up a bit at that. "Ned Chicane, I think you just had your first good idea."

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night," Ned gloated, causing Duck to roll his eyes.

"Could be it," Duck agreed, "but how could it know?"

"We don't know what's sending the bomboms through the portal," Aubrey pointed out. "If it's smart, it could very well know…"

"Maybe it's hiding because it's weak," Duck added. "Could be another reason to have Stern in its sights. He could look like the weakest target."

Barclay hurriedly jotted all those ideas down, frowning. "They make sense," he agreed, turning towards Mama.

She frowned, taking it all in for a few moments. "It does, but we won't know anything for sure until we actually _see_ it.”

The four of them went quiet for a few moments before Aubrey spoke up. “Well, what if we have someone waiting outside for when it appears? And the rest of us could hide inside.”

Mama mulled that over for a moment. "That could be more dangerous than it's worth, but we haven't seen hide nor tail of this thing since it's appeared… dangerous could be our only chance."

-

When Barclay returned to the common room, he found Joseph haunched over a notebook, fiddling with his pen. It flung from his fingers, a soft swear coming from him as he reached for it.

"I've got it," Barclay assured him, leaning down to pick up the pen. He glanced at the (not so stealthily covered) notebook. From what he could see, there was something with reptilian legs. "Let me guess, important FBI stuff?"

"Ah, yeah," Joseph mumbled softly, closing it swiftly. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. You mind if I sit with you?"

"Oh- not at all."

Barclay sat at the table beside him, watching him for a few moments. "How've you been doing?"

Joseph smiled slightly, though Barclay quickly noted the bitterness it held. "I'm doing as good as I can be. I'm just- so tired. And I can't do anything about it."

Barclay rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "We'll find a way to stop it," he promised.

Joseph's smile softened a touch. He scooched his chair closer to him, leaning against Barclay. "I know," he murmured, relaxing against him. 

Barclay wrapped an arm around him, turning to look out the window. He wasn't sure how, but they'd stop it from hurting anybody- especially Joseph. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER MAY NOT BE THE BEST BUT I WANNA GO IN FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER...  
> H oo quarentine has really nerfed my focus and writing ability. Regardless I still love these two and i want to Finish This... plus I've always wanted to do a multichapter fic. I just have to plan a lot better next time bc I deadass jumped into this with no planning for a plot like this.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if I'll keep up a schedule for this. I'll just slap down chapters whenever, but I'll try to update fairly often.


End file.
